The Kulikovo battle is the heroic battle of our people with the army of the Golden Horde. The battle and victory in it was of great importance to the Russian people. The outcome of the Battle of Kulikovo showed the people exhausted by the invasion of foreigners that they are strong and in their power to put an end to this horror. Only in union is there salvation.
Moscow became the center for the unification of the Slavs in these difficult years, and together with the enemy army the myth of the invincibility of the Horde collapsed.
The battle began in 1380, in the place where the Tula region is now located. The result of the battle was the victory of the Russians and Mamaia’s loss of influence on politics in the Horde.
This event was addressed by many of the artists, directors, poets and sculptors. The very first cartoon was shot in the USSR in 1980, it tells about the complex events of that time. The article contains 10 of the most interesting facts about the Battle of Kulikovo.
10. Original name - Battle of the Don
The Kulikovo battle is the name of the battle that is familiar to us from the school curriculum. But did you know that originally called the Battle of the Don. This is due to the place where the massacre took place. Modern researchers have precisely proved that it took place between the famous Don River and the little-known Nepryadva River.
The battle habitual for the modern layman received the name of the battle only in the nineteenth century. You can also hear that The Battle of Kulikovo is called the Mamaev Battle. That is exactly what is most often written in literary works.
9. Reason for battle - Dmitry Donskoy’s refusal to pay tribute to the Golden Horde
The prince’s refusal to pay tribute to the Horde was the main reason and reason for the battle. But Dmitry Donskoy did not think to dispute the right of the Golden Horde to levy a levy. He was ready to pay so as not to incur the wrath of the Horde on himself and his lands.
The fact is that a tribute from him was demanded by Mamai, who was not a legitimate ruler, but was rather an invader. The great event began with the battle of the great heroes.
The Kulikovo battle began with the battle between the Russian warrior Peresvet and the Mongolian fighter Chelubey. They both struck each other with spears and died. It was after this event that the great battle against the Tatar-Mongols began.
8. The prince received a blessing for the battle of Sergius of Radonezh
The victor of the decisive battle for the Russian people was Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy. Back in Soviet times, when religion was banned, he was canonized.
Dmitry Donskoy was a deeply religious person and, of course, could not help asking for blessings before the fight. The outcome of the battle was unknown, even many Russian people believed that this campaign was the path to certain death. The governor blessed the great Russian saint Sergius of Radonezh, who, according to rumors, had visions of the Virgin and the Apostles.
7. Donskoy appeared on the field ahead of time and explored the area
The commander’s wise tactical move was a decision to arrive on the battlefield in advance in order to study the landscape and terrain of the territory on which a very difficult battle was to be held. Dmitry Donskoy before the start of the battle already knew quite well under what conditions his army would fight, which gave him another advantage.
Enemies, until the last moment, did not know anything about the place where the theater of operations would take place. The lack of this knowledge forced the khan to spend extra time studying, while Donskoy was already free to go on the attack.
6. The prince before the battle changed his armor with a gun
History knows the incredible fact about Dmitry Donskoy, who has been retold to each other for many years. Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy before the start of the battle exchanged armor with a gunsmith. He was the Moscow boyar Mikhail Brenok. During the attack, the Horde specifically sought out the commander’s noticeable armor among the soldiers in order to kill.
Death in a governor’s battle would have undermined the morale of those fighting. In addition, having lost wise leadership, the army would have significantly weakened and would inevitably be defeated. Therefore, we can call this act wise and thoughtful, although it entailed the death of a young soldier. However, if he had not done this, everything could have turned out differently.
5. Oleg Ryazan and the Lithuanian prince were to fight on the side of Mamaia
On the side of Mamaia, who led the Horde forces, the squad of Prince Oleg Ryazansky and the soldiers of Prince Jagailo, who was Lithuanian, were planning.
But the idea was not destined to come true. The lightning attack of the Russian troops on the position of Mamaia with their subsequent defeat did not leave them a chance. All they could do was attack the departing wagons with wounded and trophies.
4. The battle began with a duel between Chelubey and Peresvet
One of the interesting historical facts says about the duel that took place before the Battle of Kulikovo. Two warriors took part in it, the hero Chelubey spoke from the camp of Mamaia, and a monk called Alexander was fighting from ours. Alexander Peresvet was blessed and sent to battle by Sergius of Radonezh along with another monk whom we know as Oslyabya. The Khan's nominee had great strength, but ours was as strong as a rock.
The scripture says that they converged and Peresvet knocked Chelubey out of the saddle, killing him. According to various sources, two versions of the fate of the Russian monk are known. One says that Alexander, too, died, but reached the Russian positions, and in the second he survived. The second monk, Oslyabya, fell in a fierce battle.
3. The exact number of troops has not yet been established.
The exact number of troops has not yet been established. Many historians still argue. According to the lowest estimates, only a few thousand people acted on the part of the Don and Mamai warriors. Other sources claim that only the khan's army totaled more than 800 thousand souls.
The well-known electronic encyclopedia reports the numbers of 70 thousand from ours, and up to 150 from the Horde side. The same source reports that the Slavs lost about 20 thousand people, while the horde lost 8/9 of the entire army.
2. The outcome of the battle was decided by an ambush regiment strike
The ambush regiment led by Prince Bobrok-Volynsky and Prince Serpukhov was deciding the outcome of the battle.. The reception was not new and was already used by another famous commander, whose name was Alexander Nevsky. Like almost two centuries ago, it bore fruit.
Serpukhov was in a hurry to strike, but Bobrok was waiting for a convenient moment. And this was another wise decision that made it possible to go behind the scenes and mortally wound the enemy army.
1. The defeat of Mamaia led to the reign of Tokhtamysh, who later burned Moscow
Having lost to Donskoy, Mamai could not hold power in his Horde and was overthrown by the Tatar-Mongol ruler Tokhtamysh. Having gained power and gained strength, the new Khan moved to Moscow. Approaching the gate, Tokhtamysh met fierce resistance in the face of Moscow and Lithuanian soldiers. Realizing that this could last a long time and lead to the exhaustion of his own troops, the khan went on a trick.
Having entered into a conspiracy with the princes of Nizhny Novgorod, he sent them to negotiate. The envoys convinced the inhabitants of Moscow that surrender is the best option possible. Taking the word that Tokhtamysh will not harm the Muscovites. The resistance opened the gate, and let in the troops of the khan. But the khan did not keep his word and plundered the city, burned it to the ground.